AMs' expenses publication nerves

Details of AMs' expenses claims will be published online - but not their receipts

The Welsh Assembly's presiding officer says he is "nervous" about assembly members' expenses being published.

The details of what AMs have claimed during the financial year 2008/09 will be revealed on a website on Monday.

Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas said members had a "huge moral responsibility" over the issue of their expenses.

He said: "People throughout the UK and beyond are looking at us because we are the first to take action since this storm (over MPs' expenses) broke."

Lord Elis-Thomas told BBC Wales' The Politics Show that the assembly had purchased computer software from the Scottish Parliament which enables expenses to be published online.

He said the expenses for the last financial year would be published at 0900 BST on Monday and that later this year all claims would be published on a monthly basis.

When asked about what information had been redacted, Lord Elis-Thomas said that individual receipts wouldn't be available online on Monday

"We are not going to scan receipts but receipts are available if people want to see them," he said.

It's not just accountable at election time, it's being accountable every day for all that we do

Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas

"We've got to get it right for the people of Wales because that's what we are here for. We are not here to make money for ourselves. We've got to give people confidence and show that we are worthy of their trust at all times"

The presiding officer said he hoped the expenses scandal at Westminster would not be too damaging to assembly politics.

"It is clear that people can distinguish between assembly members, the National Assembly and the House of Commons," he said.

He also dismissed as "strange arguments" the calls made by a senior House of Commons official that some aspects of proposed legislation at Westminster could compromise its independence because they could let the courts interfere with the work of Parliament.

Lord Elis-Thomas said: "The is no such thing as independence of Parliament. MPs are citizens elected by citizens."

He said that all politicians were accountable to the public.

"It's not just accountable at election time, it's being accountable every day for all that we do," he said.

"That's the burden if you like, the responsibility, of public office. And we have got to be worthy of that."

Independent review

Next week, the assembly is set to receive the report an independent review of expenses and allowances.

The review, chaired by Sir Roger Jones, is expected to recommend tighter controls on the system.

It comes after criticism last year when it emerged that leader of the Welsh Conservatives Nick Bourne and his Tory colleague Alun Cairns, a South West Wales AM, claimed a total of £398 in office costs for an iPod each.

They later reimbursed the assembly and donated money to charity.

Mr Bourne, who represents Mid and West Wales, said although the claims were within the rules, both he and Mr Cairns apologised to the public.

The new log of AMs' expenses can be viewed at www.assemblywales.org/allowances from 0900 BST on Monday.